Left Behind
by Mysteryguy12
Summary: It's none of your business. How could he know how much those words hurt her? Tatsuki finds herself struggling with being the one left behind. No longer recognized as his nakama. It's killing her. But it just wouldn't be like her if she didn't fight it.
1. Chapter 1

Initially, this was going to be a little drabble or angst piece for Tatsuki, but I decided to start doing some real writing for it instead because I just like her so much. Damn you Ichigo for leaving her behind. Why didn't she get powers, huh? What the hell is up with that?

Chapter One

Broken

"It's none of your business."

How could he have known how much those words would hurt her? The way he looked at her then, eyes full to the brim with pity and sadness; it broke her heart. She had cried herself to sleep that night. Her heart was so heavy, so full of emotions earlier that day, and now it was so empty. She asked herself what she had expected, coming to him and bearing her soul for him like that. What had she hoped he'd say?

And the very fact that she needed to ask that of herself made her cry even harder.

He hadn't always been like that; cold, withdrawn, distant. She remembered him as a boy, crying and walking up and down the river bank, a sad child missing his mother. He didn't seek out help, but when she went to him, he didn't push her away. That was who he was. He never asked for help, but he wasn't the kind of person to turn you away. And it wasn't just when he was a kid. Until last year, he had been like that. He had been her friend. He had been her nakama.

He had been the Ichigo she knew.

But not anymore.

He was a different person now. He hid things from his friends, from her. He hid himself from her and didn't even notice how much it killed her inside. She had seen him in his black clothing, carrying that big sword and fighting…monsters. She had seen him run off with Orihime and Chad. She watched him strike down great beasts. Monsters that threatened their home, and he was defending them. She herself had nearly been killed twice by those things.

But for all she had seen, she knew so little. What the hell were they? Why couldn't everyone see them? Why couldn't anyone see Ichigo fighting them? Where had Orihime disappeared to? For fuck's sake, what the hell was going on!?

She had gone to him, her head full to burst with questions. Her heart was heavy with doubt, and fear, and above that, hope. Orihime had gone. She wasn't anywhere. Her best friend…the one she swore she would protect was gone without a trace. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what was going on. So with her head and her heart swollen to burst with confusion, fear, doubt, and hope, she confronted him.

And that's when he broke her heart.

"It's none of your business."

She could have died right then. Everything she ever believed about him disappeared in that moment. What was she to him anymore? She had showed him her heart there in the hall. Called him her friend, called him her nakama. And he just looked at her with those eyes. His expression conveyed to her in an instant the impossible gap between them that had appeared without her noticing. She was no longer part of his life. Not in the way she used to be. She had lost him, and those eyes said that she would never get him back.

"Well fuck that," she says as she grits her teeth and clenches her fists. Taking a deep breath, she sits up and steps out of bed. She still feels empty inside, broken down and distraught. But inside her emptiness, she has made a decision. He may have lost himself and left her behind, but she was still who she always had been. She was still Tatsuki Arisawa.

And Tatsuki Arisawa never gives up without a fight.

Fueled mostly by anger, she strides across the room and takes a deep breath. She can feel her blood pumping in her ears, loud like drums. Her knuckles are white and when she lets her breath out, she closes her eyes. She hears him over and over again, telling her not to concern herself with him. He could see the gap between them, knew how wide it was, and thought she could never cross it. He had given up on her. She takes another deep breath in and opens her eyes. Her punching bag hangs motionless in front of her.

She may not be able to see the gap between them, but she wasn't about to give up on herself.

As she begins to breathe out, she screams at the top of her lungs. Her fist flies forward, faster than can be seen and connects with the punching bag. It swings back, buckling where she hit it. Still screaming, she retracts her fist and throws the other before the bag can even finish its swing. Again, the thud of her knuckles on the canvas echoes dully in the room. The bag buckles again and swings up higher. She strikes a third time, a fourth, a fifth. The bag swings up, nearly parallel with the ground. Her throat feels raw from screaming and she draws back her fist one last time as she begins to run out of breath.

Throwing her whole body into it, she swings her fist forward as the bag comes swinging back toward her. Her voice gives out as her fist connects. The canvas caves in around her fist and then explodes backwards, swinging back so fast it hits her ceiling and then falls back with a jangle of the chain. She lets the bag fall against her but stands her ground, her muscles tight and her jaw clenched. She breathes heavily, the blood now pumping in a deep bass that fills her ears. She can hear the other tenants in the other apartments stirring. She is breathless and full of fury.

Shaking her head and breathing in deeply, she stalks to her door, slipping on her sandals and grabbing her sweater. She pushes the door open and then slams it behind her. She is vaguely aware of her landlord yelling something as she takes off down the street, something inside her telling her where he is. A faint buzzing in her mind lets her know which turns to take. The run passes in a haze and soon she finds herself standing in front of a general store. Breathing heavily, she clenches her fists and looks up at the sign in front.

It reads, "Urahara Shoten."

A giant, mostly bald man with a startling mustache is standing outside, sweeping the front steps. He turns to look at her. "Ah, I'm sorry Miss, we're closed."

"Ichigo is here," she says. "Where…under the shop? He's here, isn't he?"

The man stands up straight and adjusts his glasses. His expression changes ever so slightly. "You're Ichigo's friend then?"

The way he speaks, she knows he knows something. Her mind begins to spin again with all the questions Ichigo refused to answer. Tears begin to fill her eyes and she lets them fall.

"Orihime's gone!" she shouts. "I can't feel her presence anymore and I'm scared! I want to know where she went! And…and I'm afraid that Ichigo is going to go there too! Dammit! I don't want to lose either of them." She clenches her fists until her knuckles turn white. "Why am I the one left behind!? Huh? Why me!?" She looks at the man through tear filled eyes. "I…I just want to know what's going on!"

The tall man looks at her passively and then leans his broom against the front wall. He steps back and opens the sliding door. Turning to her, he motions through the door way. "Come inside. I'll make tea." When she doesn't move, his expression turns more serious. "I can answer your questions. We have a lot to talk about." He motions through the door again.

"Please, come in."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Life

She enters the shop, her heart pumping faster. It looks like any old general store, but there is something in the air that says otherwise. The man with the impressive mustache walks past her and kneels at a table. He motions for her to sit as well. Hesitantly, she follows suit, kneeling and eyeing the man carefully. Silence fills the room and she can feel herself fidgeting. She wants to yell at the man sitting in front of her. More time passes and just as she's about to explode, the man sighs.

"What have you seen?" he asks, adjusting his glasses and peering at her. His gaze makes her uneasy, and she feels her resolve shake slightly, but she rallies quickly and begins to speak.

"There are these…creatures," she says slowly, as though questioning herself. "Not everyone can see them, but they're out there." Her voice picks up as she continues to talk. "I couldn't see them at first either, but then…I don't know, they started showing up, getting clearer. After that time with Orihime…it's a vague memory," she slows again, trying to remember through the haze. She quickly recovers and continues. "And ever since then they've been getting clearer, and I can see ghosts, and…and I can see Ichigo." Once more, her voice lowers and she pauses. "Ichigo, running around in all black with a big sword on his back, fighting these things."

Her eyes glaze over slightly as she thinks further back. When had it all began? That hazy memory of Orihime and her…after the karate meet? No, she was missing something. Before that, Ichigo had been acting differently. There was that time…hadn't he jumped through their school window? It was another hazy patch in her mind. That was soon after Rukia arrived, hadn't it been? Yeah, that's right, it had. Not long after Rukia showed up, Chad showed up at school with that bird, and ended up in the hospital for a night. That was before Ichigo jumped through the window…and then after that they had all gotten in trouble with the school for causing a scene at that Don Kanonji ghost show thing. She could remember that just fine. She had been with Orihime when all of a sudden, she started getting really upset. Ichigo jumped the fence and got tackled by security. Rukia tried to help and ended up getting caught as well.

And then…

She looks up at the man in glasses. He stares passively back at her. "You were there!" She leans forward, staring straight into his face. "At Don Kanonji's show! You showed up when Rukia and Ichigo got caught by security! You ran off with the both of them. I remember, you were carrying Ichigo like he'd passed out or something." Her mind is racing furiously as she sits back and furrows her brow. "And-and there was another guy. A guy in a hat, with sandals. He was there too…" Something deep within her mind begins to change. "And that time…with Orihime after the karate meet…he was there too. He showed up and took Orihime away. I was barely conscious." Her eyes widen. "And even before that! In Orihime's room! Oh my god…I was bleeding and…and Orihime passed out or something."

She looks up at the man once more, her muscles tensing. "I couldn't remember that until right now…" she says slowly. "You people…you have something to do with all of this. You've done something, haven't you?"

There is a short silence and then the man sighs. "You are correct."

She stands up, her fists clenched, her blood pumping again. "Well what the hell is going on then!?" Her voice is full of anger and she can feel herself quivering with rage. "What are those things? Why couldn't I remember those times? Who are you? What happened to Ichigo? Where is Orihime!?"

She is breathing heavily and shaking with anger, but the man just sits in place, watching her passively. She wants to hit him, to punch him until he answers, but as she continues to glare at him, she begins to lose her resolve. Violence wouldn't solve anything here. Taking a deep breath, she unclenches her fists and looks down at him, saying nothing.

"We are affiliated with the shinigami," the man says softly. He pauses for a moment, but when Tatsuki does not interrupt, he continues. "My name is Tessai. I work with Mr. Urahara. We were banished from the afterlife for crimes we did not commit."

She looks at him as he speaks, unsure of what exactly he is saying. Shinigami? Afterlife? It didn't make sense, but at the same time, she wasn't going to question it. The things she had seen up until now…the reasons behind them could hardly be considered natural.

"Ichigo has joined the ranks of the shinigami. He has been accepted as a part time member of their group. He hunts those creatures you have seen. They are called hollows." He turns his gaze to her eyes. "Hollows are the souls of the deceased, twisted by powerful negative emotions, unable to rest. "

She stares back at him, unflinching. Then, silently, she sits down.

"Rukia is a shinigami as well, as are a number of your other classmates who have arrived only recently. You see, war is on the rise, and they are preparing to fight against the organized forces of the hollows. I believe two of their higher ranking soldiers nearly killed you not long ago."

She blinks as her memory clears once again. He was right. Two of them, human looking, but terrible had appeared and killed several of her teammates. Orihime had shown up with Chad and then…she had passed out.

"Ichigo plans to fight them as well, though not for the same reasons." The man pauses and looks down at the table. "I regret to inform you that Orihime has been captured by the enemy."

She feels her body go cold. A pit opens up in her stomach and she finds herself short of breath. Tessai waits, patiently watching her struggle with the shocking information. Her hands grip the edge of the table, shaking slightly. Orihime had been captured by those things? What did that mean for her? Was she ok? No…no of course she was ok. She had to be. Ichigo was going to save her. She shakes her head and looks back at Tessai.

"Why would they take her?" she says, her voice cracking as a lump forms in her throat.

"We are not sure." Tessai adjusts his glasses and shakes his head. "There is a chance that it is little more than a diversion. But it is more likely due to her recently developed powers."

"Powers?" She looks inquisitively at Tessai for a moment and then blinks as another part of her memory clears. She remembered defending Orihime before last summer after that meet. But she had been incapacitated and then Orihime did…something…and she was alright. It had happened again only a few weeks ago, when those two people had shown up and nearly killed her.

"Yes," Tessai continues. "It appears that Orihime has developed powers due in part to Ichigo's rampant spiritual energy. Similarly, your friend Chad has begun to develop abilities of his own. He is going with Ichigo to rescue Orihime."

"Chad too…" she furrows her brow. "And…Uryuu?"

"You are observant," Tessai comments with a soft smile. "Uryuu has powers in his own right. He is what we call a Quincy. He is going with them as well."

Her mind is reeling now and she stands up. Absently, she begins to pace, and then hop from foot to foot. Tessai watches her as she sways back and forth. Then, without warning she throws a punch out into the empty air. It is followed by another, and another. Tessai observes passively and says nothing as she begins to shadow box.

It was something she had always done when she needed to calm down and think things through. Something about these movements helped calm her. As she sways and unleashes a straight punch, she reflects on the new information. Orihime had been taken because she had developed some sort of power. Chad had come across powers as well. Both of them developed them through their contact with Ichigo apparently…

She stops bouncing on her toes and turns to face Tessai.

"You said something about Ichigo's crazy spiritual…power or something, right?" Tessai nods. "So, like in comics and stuff when the heroes are exposed to radiation and they get powers...that's why Chad and Orihime have their own?"

"In a simplistic way…I suppose you're right," Tessai says, nodding slowly.

"So just because they've been exposed to Ichigo, while he's been giving off spiritual whatever, they got powers?"

Tessai nods again.

She clenches her fists and feels a lump grow in her throat.

"So…why not me?"

Tessai is silent. He knew that this was coming. He watches her shake, understanding the frustration she must be feeling.

"In truth, when we recovered Orihime, we had assumed you would develop your own abilities," he says sympathetically. "We were surprised to only find Orihime had developed any. We had been watching you for some time. You were our first candidate due to your contact with Ichigo and how close you were."

"Then why didn't it happen?" Her voice is rising now as tears begin to form in her eyes. She takes a shuddering breath. "Why am I the only one left behind?"

"You have too strong a connection with life."

She starts at the new voice. She whirls around to find a woman standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She is thin and dark skinned, with dark hair and a sly face.

"At least, that was Kisuke's theory."

Tessai stands up and bows. "Ah, Ms. Yoruichi. We weren't expecting you."

Tatsuki eyes the woman suspiciously. How long had she been standing there? And why hadn't she noticed her before now? Tatsuki looks the woman over from head to toe. Something about her seems familiar, like she'd seen her before. The woman glances down at her and smiles slightly.

"Do you recognize me?" She chuckles to herself. "I wouldn't be surprised if you don't. You were barely conscious at the time."

Tatsuki blinks. "At the hill! With those two monsters!" The recognition sets in. She had nearly been killed before Orihime and Chad showed up. Ichigo had appeared as well…and that man with the hat, and this woman. It was all rather hazy.

Yoruichi smiles slyly. "Ah, very impressive." She pushes herself off of the door frame and walks toward Tatsuki. She moves with an almost inhuman grace. Tatsuki can see something feline in each of her steps.

"What do you mean I have too strong a connection to life?" Tatsuki asks, tensing as the woman stops, standing uncomfortably close.

"Ichigo derives his power from his soul, something that only becomes stronger in death," Yoruichi says, her cat-like eyes gazing meaningfully at Tatsuki. "He has a strong connection with death…for a number of reasons. His mother died, he lives in a hospital, surrounded by death. There are…other factors as well," she says, glancing at Tessai, who remains silent and unmoving. "Orihime is the same, having lost her brother. Chad has experienced loss as well. They all have some sort of understanding of death, a connection with it." She leans in close, their noses almost touching. "But you haven't found that understanding yet."

Tatsuki swallows, finding herself strangely intimidated by the woman before her. "What do you mean?"

"You lack a connection with death," Yoruichi says simply. "You don't understand it. You're too full of vitality." The woman cocks her head to the side and grins. "You're probably one of those people who thinks they'll never die."

"That's crazy, of course I'm going to die, everyone does," Tatsuki says, taking a step back and averting her eyes.

Yoruichi steps forward, coming even closer to Tatsuki's face. "But that's just it. You _know _it, but you don't _believe _it."

"That doesn't make any sense," Tatsuki says, shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other. "I mean…I've almost died before."

"Twice." Yoruichi smiled widely. "You've nearly died twice before."

Tatsuki turns to face Yoruichi. She looks confused. Considering how much these people knew, it didn't seem right for them to get this wrong. "Three times, actually. That first time, at Orihime's house, again after that karate meet, and a few weeks ago, when I saw you."

"Twice," Yoruichi repeats. She stares at Tatsuki with cold, slit-like eyes and then takes a step back. "You died that second time."

"What?"

"You took a 'bullet' through the head, girl," Yoruichi continues, her voice growing louder. "You were dead, under control of a hollow." The older woman moves closer again, leering at Tatsuki. "Orihime brought you back. You're lucky to be alive."

Tatsuki feels her heart beating like a huge drum inside her. Her breath is coming up short and she can feel herself shaking.

"If it wasn't for that, there's no way you'd be able to see ghosts or shinigami at all. That is your connection with death, but you haven't acknowledged it yet." Yoruichi's face goes still, no longer smiling. "And without facing it, you will never be able to catch up to them."

Tatsuki turns her eyes to the ground. The room is spinning and she feels like she might pass out. The woman standing before her is out of focus and distant. Everything is so unbelievable, so impossible. But it makes sense in spite of itself. Tatsuki closes her eyes and breathes in deeply. The scent of Tessai's tea and the strange otherworldly smell of the whole building enters her nose and lungs. She opens her eyes again and the room is no longer spinning.

"Whatever it takes," she says, gazing straight back at Yoruichi's cat-like eyes. Her expression is hard and her voice is clear and free of hesitation. "I'll do whatever it takes to reach them. I'm tired of being the one left behind." She clenches her fists. "You say I've got power hidden inside me like Chad and Orihime? Well I'm ready to do anything to reach in there and tear it out. You just tell me what I need to do."

Yoruichi's eyes flash and she smiles.

"Very good," she says. "The first step, is to die."

And with a smile, she plunges her palm through Tatsuki's skull.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey, so I've gotten a lot of reviews so far, thank you so much. I'm really glad that people agree with me. Tatsuki really doesn't get enough attention from Tite. Such a damn shame. I really hope I do her justice here. Keep letting me know what you think. And keep those reviews coming. They help me stay motivated. Later guys!

Chapter 3

Power

Tatsuki's body stiffens for a split second. She makes a desperate gasp for air, but the attempt withers in her throat. Her eyes roll back in her head as her muscles loosen and she slowly crumples to the ground. Her knees hit first and then she topples sideways and lands with a thud, her head knocking against the tatami floor mats. Saliva pools at the edge of her mouth and then dribbles out slowly. She is not breathing, not moving, simply lying there, limp and useless.

"Wah!" Tatsuki stumbles backwards away from her lifeless body, clutching her forehead. She begins to fall backwards but catches her footing at the last moment, only to lose it again and fall onto her backside with a thump. She looks up at Yoruichi and opens her mouth to speak, only to find herself short on breath. She gasps for air and struggles to stand up, only to find it impossible, and instead lies down. With each, shuddering bid for fresh air, she struggles to sit up, but her muscles are weak and unresponsive.

Her head rolls to the side, turning to look at Yoruichi. The woman is standing with a smile on her face. In her hand, she is playing with a chain. It slides through her fingers like a snake as she twists it around and around, never letting it knot. Tatsuki eyes the chain and follows it down to the ground. She gasps deeper when she sees her own body lying on the floor.

"What…?" She tries to ask a question but coughs instead, desperately gasping for air. Yoruichi smiles slyly.

"What's going on?" Her eyes flash. "Why is your body over here? Why do you feel so weak? Where did this chain come from?" She laughs. "Good questions!"

Tatsuki hears a voice from out of her view. She recognizes it as Tessai. "Yoruichi…is this really the best way to go about it?"

Yoruichi pouts slightly and drops the chain, placing her hands on her hips. "C'mon Tessai. Look at her." She points down at Tatsuki, who is struggling to prop herself up on her elbows. "The girl can barely breathe. If we don't do it like this, she'll never get any stronger."

Tessai's mustache twitches and he makes a low grumbling sound, but then nods. "I suppose he would do the same thing, wouldn't he?"

Yoruichi smiles again, flashing her bright white teeth. "Kisuke and I think alike. Go and get Ururu for me, ok?"

Tessai stands up and walks out of the room, no longer grumbling to himself. Tatsuki tries to watch him go, but can't turn her head quickly enough. Yoruichi sighs and sits down by Tatsuki's limp and drooling body. She prods it with her foot and smirks.

"You're dead right now," the woman says with a sly grin. Tatsuki agonizingly turns her head to look at Yoruichi. "This right here?" Yoruichi prods Tatsuki with her foot again. "It's your body." She points at the gasping Tatsuki across the room. "And that's your soul." She reaches down and picks up the chain. "This is the only thing binding you right now. So you aren't permanently dead or anything. Don't worry too much." She laughs to herself.

Tatsuki struggles and manages to push her quaking body up onto her elbows, looking at Yoruichi as she sits over her body, playing with the chain, smiling. Tatsuki wants to wipe that grin right off her face.

"Here's the deal, girl." Yoruichi drops the chain and leans back in her chair. "You're super weak right now, can barely stand…and that's fine and all, if you're a normal dead person. But you don't want to be normal, do you? You want to bring out that buried power Ichigo accidently filled you up with, right?"

Tatsuki nods and nearly falls onto her back again.

"Well then you're gonna need to come to grips with your own soul first." She holds up three fingers and grins. It makes Tatsuki think of the Cheshire cat. "Thirty seconds. If you can't get back over to your body in that time, I'm gonna cut this chain and kill ya for real. Understand?"

Tatsuki's brow furrows.

"Don't believe me?" Yoruichi's grin widens. She stands up and holds out her hand. Tatsuki looks at it, and without warning, there is a crack of thunder and suddenly a pale, flickering aura appears over the woman's hand. Yoruichi darts downwards and plunges her hand into the floor, right next to the chain. It easily breaks through the tatami mats. She looks up, blowing a strand of dark purple hair out of her face.

"You've wasted five seconds already, kiddo."

Tatsuki's eyes widen and she struggles to push herself up. Her muscles are burning and shaking just from that effort as she gets to her hands. Sitting up straight now, she is panting, her chest on fire with exhaustion. She feels as though she's run a marathon. She coughs and gags, nearly throwing up. Straining against some impossible to imagine pressure, she rolls over onto her knees, her arms giving out and letting her face hit the floor.

_Shit,_ she thinks. _What the hell is this?_ _I'm dead? This cat-woman is gonna kill me?_

"Twenty seconds left."

She forces her face off the ground, locking her arms and breathing heavily. She is sweating profusely. All her muscles are quivering with pain and fatigue.

_And what the hell is wrong with me? Am I this weak? Shit!_

She pulls a foot up and places it on the tatami mat. She feels dizzy, the room is spinning fast, colors merging into a grey-brown blur. With immense effort, she begins to stand.

"Fifteen."

The older woman's voice is lost in a haze as Tatsuki stumbles, trying to keep her footing on the mats. Her whole body is shaking, barely conscious. She takes a few lurching steps in what she hopes is the right direction. Her body is hot, she feels like there's a fire growing inside her. She tries to scream, but her throat is raw.

_What the fuck? What the fuck is this?_

"Ten. Oh, nine now."

_Shut the hell up, catwoman_.

She stumbles again, falling to her knees. She retches, and braces herself with her shuddering arms. Her bones creak with the effort of holding herself up.

"Seven…huh, looks like you really can't do it, girl."

_Shut up. Ahhh…fuck why does it hurt this much?_

She curls into a ball, clutching her chest, breathing heavily.

_God…dammit. I feel like I'm on fire here…_

"Five. Should I even keep counting?"

_Fuck you…_

She feels the fire inside her growing hotter, more intense as the room spins faster. Her fingers clutch at her chest, trying to apply pressure or do something to stop the burning. She want so scream in pain. Oddly though, her mind is still quite clear.

_What is wrong with you? Just cuz you're dead, you get to turn into a weak little shit? Is that how it's gonna be? What the hell? You gonna let it end like this?_

She looks up at Yoruichi, standing over her. Her smile is gone. Her eyes are no longer shining. Instead, they are glazed over, disinterested. She has the same eyes as Ichigo did that day.

She doubles up as the fire inside her flares even hotter. It feels alive, raging inside her chest. She opens her mouth and lets out a croaking screech. Her fingers dig into her skin, cutting into her own flesh. She screams her dry throat raw.

"Three," Yoruichi's apathetic voice echoes in her head.

_This is how it goes? This is as far as you can take yourself? Are you saying Ichigo was right? That this gap really can't be crossed? Shit, Tatsuki…are you honestly just going to let it go like this?_

She clenches her fists and uncurls slightly. The fire burns fiercer, reaching the tips over her fingers, her toes, filling her vision.

"Two."

_Hell no._

Her fist connects with the tatami mat. The fire grows fiercer inside, burning her raw inside. Her muscles tear and she can't even breathe anymore.

"One."

_Shut up._

Her eyes open, her vision clear as day. The room is no longer spinning. She can't feel her body anymore. Only the fire.

"Zero." Yoruichi frowns. "Aw man…I gotta say I expected a little more. Oh well."

_Shut up!_

There is a clap of thunder. Yoruichi raises her hand and sighs. "Well, I don't make idle threats, sorry kiddo."

"_Shut the fuck up!!_"

Yoruichi begins to bring her hand down, the lightning around her hand crackling as it descends. Tatsuki watches it as it travels toward her chain as though it is in slow motion. She reaches out a hand…no, a fist. Her arm extends, reaching out further, further. _Faster_, she thinks to herself. _Faster!_

Another clap of thunder explodes in the room and Tatsuki flashes forward. Yoruichi tries to turn, but is interrupted as Tatsuki's fist connects hard with her face. Yoruichi tries to brace herself, but feels her feet lift off the floor. The aura of lightning around her own hand disappears as she flies across the room and crashes through the sliding paper door.

Tatsuki follows through and brings her fist back to her hip. She feels it burning with power and when she looks down, her eyes widen. Flames dance over her hardened knuckles, up over the back of her hand, all the way up to her elbow. The continue to rise over her shoulder and then come to rest on beside her head. Tatsuki stiffens with the fire so close to her head, but at the same time, knows there isn't anything to worry about. This was her fire, she realized. She raises her left hand and touches the fire. It conforms to her touch and wraps playfully around her hand, dancing over her skin. A smile crosses her face as it slides up her arm and rests on her left shoulder this time.

"So you're that power Ichigo unlocked in me, huh?"

The flickering flame nuzzles against her cheek, crackling in a friendly way.

"Hm," Tatsuki frowns. "Cuter than I would have thought."

"Yeah," Yoruichi's annoyed voice echoes from the other side of the broken sliding door. "Real cute, kiddo." The woman steps gracefully through the hole in the door and rubs her jaw. She doesn't make eye contact. Tatsuki thinks to herself how much she reminds her of a cat whose pride has been wounded. The woman shakes her head. "Well, it's not how I expected it to go, but I guess you pass, congratulations."

Tatsuki smiles widely and the flame sparks happily. "You bet I did. What'd you expect?"

Yoruichi frowns for a second and then grins. "Haha! Haven't had a pupil like you in a long time! I like you Tatsuki!" She takes a step forward, making sure not to step on Tatsuki's still motionless body. "You're makin' me revise your training schedule." She cocks her head to one side and shakes her whole body, taking a deep breath. "Second verse, same as the first. You get to your body, you pass."

Tatsuki blinks and begins to walk across the room, her chain rattling behind her. "Alright… but I feel fine now. Not gonna accomplish much like…"

Yoruichi's elbow connects with Tatsuki's gut, driving the wind out of her. She stumbles back, reeling and coughing. The flame on her shoulder sputters angrily.

Yoruichi stands up and grins again, her eyes flashing. "That's pay back for your cheap shot earlier." She begins to bounce up and down on her toes. "We're even now. So let the second test begin." She stops bouncing and raises her hand, motioning with her fingers. "Come on now. Get past me and to your body, and you pass. Think you're up for it?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Spar

Tatsuki blinks and takes a deep breath, recovering from the woman's unexpected attack. She watches Yoruichi closely. The woman is lithe, obviously quick on her toes. _And damn does she hit hard_, Tatsuki thinks to herself. She can still feel where the elbow smashed into her gut. All of Tatsuki's experience in martial arts told her that the woman wasn't really acting seriously either. She was holding back. And not just a little either. This woman was way out of her league. For the first time in a long time, Tatsuki felt like a little white belt again, only this time she wasn't full of the naïve confidence that she had when she was little.

On her shoulder, the tiny flame pulsates softly warming her neck. It flickers slightly and gives off the unmistakable feeling that it too is watching the sly, dark-skinned woman. Yoruichi looks back at it and grins a little wider. The flame sparks and hisses slightly.

Tatsuki breaks the silence. "Your name was Yoruichi?"

The woman cocks her head to the side and then straightens up. "That's right."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do here," Tatsuki smiles. "I'm always up for training of any kind, I am…" She looks at the ground and tightens her fists. "But just now I noticed that it's not just Ichigo downstairs…under the shop. Chad and Uryuu are are there too. I couldn't tell until just a second ago…but they're all down there." She looks up. "There's something happening tonight, isn't there?"

Yoruichi frowns and her eyes go cold and hard. "Yes."

"And…I still can't feel Orihime, even though I can sense all of the others perfectly." She grits her teeth. "She's really gone…and those three…they're going after her, aren't they?" She looks at Yoruichi with a pained expression. "They're leaving tonight, aren't they, Yoruichi?"

"I can't let you go with them," Yoruichi says coldly.

"And why the hell not!?" Tatsuki explodes. The flame on her shoulder flares up, spreading across her back and growing taller and hotter. "Why the hell should I be the one left behind here?"

"Because if you go, you'll die."

"I don't care!" Tatsuki feels tears welling up in her eyes again, but she blinks them back. "I'm so sick of being left behind! I want to help him, I want to save her! Can't you understand that?"

"You're the one who isn't getting it!" Yoruichi screams back. "He might be an idiot, but Ichigo did the right thing trying to keep you from getting involved! If you go now, you'll die! And think about what that would do to him and Orihime! To your family! To everyone who cares about you!"

"That doesn't matter!"

There is a rushing of wind and suddenly Yoruichi is standing in front of Tatsuki. Her hand is raised and covered with crackling lightning. Tatsuki flinches and lifts her arm as the lightning comes down on her. Flames roar and her arm erupts in fire, reaching out and grabbing at the lightning.

There is an explosion of noise and light that blinds both women. When it disappears, Yoruichi is standing back where she was before, her hand shaking slightly. Tatsuki blinks away the blinding light and looks at her own outstretched arm. She had raised it in a traditional high block, covering her head. What keeps her eyes fixed is the flames that spiral around her forearm. They dance over her skin, roaring as they circle around and around. She unclenches her fist and lowers her arm. The flames cease to roar and condense, traveling up her arm and back to her shoulder, flickering solemnly.

Yoruichi shakes her hand and frowns. "Better than I expected again," she says begrudgingly. "But the point I was trying to make," she points at Tatsuki's chest. Tatsuki looks down and sees a small hole burned through her shirt right over her heart.

_When did she manage to do that?_ She thinks, looking back at Yoruichi in shock.

"Is that you aren't invincible…and you can't treat your life with such disregard."

"But…" Tatsuki begins again, the flame swelling.

"How did it make you feel when Ichigo told you not to worry about him?" Yoruichi says coldly.

Tatsuki swallows her sentence and stops. The pain from hearing those words are still very present with her.

"He still doesn't get it," Yoruichi sighs. "That idiot still doesn't understand that he can't just throw his life around how he wants. It doesn't just belong to him, you understand?"

And she was right. Tatsuki still felt the betrayal from Ichigo's change in attitude. From the time Orihime left over the summer. They had both gone so far away, and she had felt so betrayed. She couldn't imagine how she would feel if either of them had died. She takes a deep breath. The flame on her shoulder subsides slightly.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" she asks as she opens her eyes.

"Believe in them."

"Heh," Tatsuki laughs wryly and brings her hands to her head, rubbing her temples. "Because I'm sure that'll be real easy to do."

"Of course it won't," Yoruichi says hotly, folding her arms over her chest. "Letting you friends go into battle without you is never easy. But you have to do it." She uncrosses her arms and shifts from one foot to the other, watching Tatsuki carefully. This girl wasn't like Orihime, or Chad. She was more like Ichigo…but more well refined. She had the base materials that the others lacked. If she would let herself be trained properly, Yoruichi was having a hard time seeing how far her potential could take her.

Tatsuki raises a hand and places it on her shoulder. The flame slides onto the offered hand and patiently sits as Tatsuki brings it closer to her face. She gazes into the flickering fire. It warms her. A faint smile creeps over her face. She lowers her hand and the fire wraps around her wrist like a flowing, orange bracelet. Her gaze returns to Yoruichi once more.

"Alright," she says, nodding slowly. "I guess I wouldn't be much help to them now anyway." She smiles a sad little smile that disappears quickly. Her eyes harden and Yoruichi feels a thrill of excitement run down her spine. When she speaks again, her voice is firm and full of determination.

"Let's start this then," she says. Her feet spread and she lowers herself into a traditional stance. "I want to close this gap between me and them. So don't think about going easy on me." She raises her hands, keeping them open. The flame on her left wrist spreads a little over the back of her hand.

Yoruichi feels her blood start pumping. She begins to bounce on her toes, her bright white teeth slowly appearing as a wide grin takes hold on her face. "Oh ho…you don't know what you're asking for, girlie."

Without another word, Tatsuki darts forward, closing the distance smoothly without leaving any openings. Her body centers herself automatically and she lets loose with a lightning fast jab to the woman's chest. Yoruichi's forearm intercepts the blow and brushes it aside. In a second, Tatsuki's hand is back in place, the other one flying forward, aiming for the face this time. Yoruichi steps back, letting the girl's hard knuckles graze her chin.

Faster than before, Tatsuki retracts her fist and lets fly with the other one, stepping in to follow the lithe and graceful woman. Yoruichi sways, the fist once again barely touching her. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees movement. Tatsuki's knee swings upwards, aiming for the woman's lower ribs. The third punch had been a feint. Yoruichi raises her own knee, dropping her other hand down and feeling Tatsuki's attack thump against her powerful leg muscles. She feels her body shake with the blow, but with her expert block, she feels no lasting pain.

But Tatsuki is moving again, dropping her leg and swiveling to the side, around her opponent. One fist feints again, chopping for Yoruichi's face, but she sees through it and sways to avoid it while quickly stepping away as Tatsuki's fingers attempt to grab her waist to throw her. The two women part and Yoruichi dances away, grinning widely.

"You've got talent!" She sways, avoiding another punch and then blocking a razor sharp kick aimed at her chest. "But you can't get me like this!" She deflects an oncoming fist and spins around Tatsuki, thrusting her elbow hard, aiming right between her shoulderblades. Tatsuki ducks and reaches up to grab the oncoming attack, but Yoruichi retracts it quickly and dances away again.

"I've fought nimble fighters like you before," Tatsuki says as she moves in again, her leg unfurling and retracting as Yoruichi moves just out of the way. "This is how it starts, but you always make a mistake somewhere." Her fists flash forward in a flurry of punches that the agile woman evades and blocks with ease.

"That's not what I mean," Yoruichi says, pushing aside another fierce punch and jumping over a leg-sweep. "You're not using that little fire of yours." She points at the yellow and orange bracelet that is crackling with excitement.

Tatsuki spins and throws her leg out hard, planting it quickly as Yoruichi ducks under it once more. "That's because I don't know how!" She leans in and drops an elbow toward Yoruichi's exposed back. The woman rolls to the side and leaps to her feet, nimbly spinning to face her.

"Try not thinking about it." Yoruichi ducks and spins to avoid more of Tatsuki's attacks. The girl really was quite talented. Yoruichi was already using very short bursts of flash steps to avoid some of the quicker attacks. For a regular human, she was amazing. She shakes her jaw a little, feeling the last bit of numbness fade away. "It worked before when you sucker punched me."

"You were asking for it!" Tatsuki throws one more punch and then lets her opponent dance away once more. She takes another look down at the fire around her wrist. It condenses and turns into a little ball. _It's looking back at me,_ she thinks to herself with a smile. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she opens them, the flame in her hand is no longer looking at her, but has turned its attention to Yoruichi. Tatsuki too turns her gaze to the woman.

Her feet flash forward, planting themselves instinctively at the proper distance from her opponent. Yoruichi can feel electricity run down her spine. Something was different this time. One hand flashes out, there is a roar of flame and a loud spark. Yoruichi raises her hand and brushes it away with her forearm, feeling the heat of the flame. But it goes away too easily…

_A feint_, she realizes.

The flames on that hand disappear. Yoruichi looks down. The world slows a little bit and her smile grows even wider. Tatsuki's other hand is drawn back, a small fire cracking behind her bent elbow. It snaps loudly and suddenly, her arm flies forward, propelled by the tiny explosion. As her fist careens forward, the fire races up her arm and surrounds her tight hand. It washes over her knuckles, the whole hand, covering it and roaring loudly.

Yoruichi lets the fist connect for an instant. Her eyes widen and in the next split second, a rushing of wind mixes in with the sound of roaring flames. The dark skinned woman stops at the other side of the room, eyes wide, smile wider, her hand running over her left side right under her ribcage where the punch would have landed.

On the other side of the room, Tatsuki follows through and the flame roars louder for a second before she pulls it back and it diminishes again, returning to a small bracelet around her wrist. She blinks and looks around, finally standing and turning, one eyebrow raised.

"Fast," she says.

Yoruichi nods and grins madly. "Sorry, I hadn't been planning on using that level of flash step against you." She glances down at the large hole in her clothes below her ribcage. "But you are just full of surprises."

Tatsuki follows Yoruichi's gaze and her eyes widen. "I did that?"

Yoruichi nods. "Yep. I was gonna let it hit to see how strong you were but…" She rubs the tender skin below. "There's a good chance I could have ended up seriously injured."

Tatsuki grins. "Well I told you not to go easy on me."

Yoruichi laughs. "You did, but I don't think you're ready for that yet."

Tatsuki's grin fades and a small frown creeps across her face. "Well, you say that now but…" She crouches and smiles widely again, pointing to her passed out physical body which she is now standing next to. "You're gonna need to come up with some more difficult tests."


End file.
